The Hoops will go hunting for their fourth win in a row when they take on Croydon at the Charles Ground on Saturday (3pm).
And with the Trams bottom of the table and looking certain to be relegated, the odds must be on Deal completing their fifth league “double” of the season after having won 3-1 at Croydon at the end of September.
But Hoops manager Derek Hares has warned that Saturday’s re-match could prove “a bit of a banana skin” for his side, adding: “Everyone is probably expecting us to win and looking at the league table Croydon are pretty well down, but all their games are close and they never get really turned over.”
Croydon also provided proof that they haven’t “thrown in the towel” just yet by holding title-chasing Chatham Town to a surprise 1-1 draw on Wednesday night, but it still meant the Trams have gained only eight points all season whereas victory for the Hoops this weekend would take them past the 50-point mark for the second season running and boost their chances of a top-six finish.
Andy Miller and Steve O’Brien both return to the squad on Saturday but Lee Scott and Ben Chapman are unavailable.
